Case Study on the Impact of Engineering Changes During Power Plant Construction

This study analyses and evaluates the causes and effects of engineering changes on power plant's construction project in South Africa. This analysis is conducted using four engineering projects, which are scored using an evaluation matrix. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of cost, time, and quality are used. A Likert scale model is employed to evaluate the effectiveness of implementation of each engineering change. The study found that changes in client requirements, poorly defined scope, integration challenges between the design and construction phases, discrepancies in contract documents, and the late involvement of specialists triggers engineering changes. Furthermore, cost and time overruns are influenced by these causes. To improve communication and coordination of engineering changes within the studied power plant, integrated engineering change management is proposed. In large project teams, integrated engineering change management is being employed to ensure effective communication, coordination of engineering changes, and to resolve interfaces across design groups. Concurrent engineering guiding principles, including involving all stakeholders early in the design process, will help in the development of changes; improve project quality at different phases and the distribution of information. Engineering changes are mitigated rather than centrally controlled in this context.